The Northwest Suburban Conference Nordic ski racing championships held last week featured a dozen teams competing. In the girls’ competition, 11 teams were vying for second place while the team championship was nearly a foregone conclusion.

The playoffs have arrived for high school girls hockey in Minnesota and the teams from Hill-Murray and North/Tartan have a couple of more days to prepare for their first-round contests. The Section 4AA tournament kicks off on Feb. 11.

The Mounds View High School boys swimming and diving team competed in the state true-team meet last weekend and went up against some of the deepest and best squads in Class AA. The Mustangs finished ninth.

Victories haven’t come easy for the Irondale High School varsity basketball teams this season but they pulled off a double last week. Both squads knocked off Spring Lake Park to earn their fifth victories of the year.